Since 1984, Congress has created 37 national heritage areas. Heritage area
designation recognizes the distinct history and geography of a region and the
desire of residents to collaborate in preserving their cultural and natural resources
and capitalizing on them to promote economic development, particularly through
heritage tourism.

A few examples include the Yuma Crossing National Heritage
Area in Arizona, the Automobile National Heritage Area in Detroit, and the Tennessee
Civil War Heritage Area. Each heritage area has a local management entity which
works regionally to promote and coordinate historic preservation, heritage tourism,
economic development, recreation, and public education initiatives.

As
directed by Congress, the National Park Service (NPS) provides technical assistance
and matching grant funds for the development and implementation of a management
plan for each designated area. Such grants are funded through the Heritage Partnership
Program in the NPS National Recreation and Preservation account. In FY 2008, $15.258
million is available.